Home: How to copy non assembly files to output directory of application

[MattiasEppler]

Hello.

How is it possible to copy none assembly files, like .xml, .txt .cat, and so on to the output directory of the application which uses my nuget package.

This is how my projectfile of my nuget package in visual studio looks like

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk">
  <PropertyGroup>
    <TargetFramework>net40</TargetFramework>
    <PackageId>SomeId</PackageId>
    <Version>1.0.0.0</Version>
    <Authors>booster</Authors>
    <Company>MyCompany</Company>
    <Product>MyProduct</Product>
    <AssemblyName>MyProduct</AssemblyName>
    <RootNamespace>MyProduct</RootNamespace>
    <Description>SomePackage</Description>
  </PropertyGroup>

  <ItemGroup>
    <Folder Include="Properties\" />
    <None Include="native\**\*.*">
      <Pack>True</Pack>
      <CopyToOutputDirectory>Always</CopyToOutputDirectory>
      <PackagePath>\lib\$(TargetFramework)</PackagePath>
    </None>
  </ItemGroup>
</Project>

in native there are some dlls, exe and other files.

\native
     \some.dll
     \other.dll
     \some.exe
     \otherFile.txt
     \file.xml

with the settings in the project file only the assembly files (dll and exe) will be in the output directory of the application which uses the nugetpackage.

How to copy also all other files from the native foler?

[zivkan]

I believe if you use the Content item type, instead of None, the package created from the project will work as intended. Does that resolve your issue?

[MattiasEppler]

I've already tried this, but its the same problem. Only dll and exe files in the output directory.

[zivkan]

The nuspec docs say that contentFiles has a copyToOutput attribute (which is a bool), and our docs on msbuild pack say

Other pack specific metadata that you can set on any of the above items includes and which sets CopyToOutput and Flatten values on the contentFiles entry in the output nuspec.

Have you tried setting the PackageCopyToOutput attribute to true in your package project's csproj?

[MattiasEppler]

Yes I also tried that

    <Content Include="native\*.*" Pack="true" PackagePath="lib\$(TargetFramework)">
      <Pack>True</Pack>
      <PackageCopyToOutput>true</PackageCopyToOutput>
    </Content>

Same again. Only dll and exe files are in the output directory.

[MattiasEppler]

It seems its a bug?

[zivkan]

Could be, but unfortunately I haven't had time to investigate myself and without others reporting the same issue, or upvoting this one, it hasn't been prioritized.

Things I'd check:
First, check the package after it's packed. If the files you wanted to include aren't under the contentFiles/ directory, then NuGet's not going to tell MSBuild about the files in projects that use the package. You could also check the nuspec file to see if it has the copy to output metadata, but if it's not there, it might be because the default value is what you specified.

After restoring the package in a project that uses the package, look at obj/project.assets.json, it lists all the assets selected. The package should be listed in two sections, the first one contains the assets selected and will be used in the project, the second section that lists the package simply lists all the files in the package. If the files you want included in the consuming project aren't listed in both sections, then the package was probably authored incorrectly (or there was a bug in pack)

If the assets file lists your content files, do a build from the command line that generates a binary log file (dotnet build -bl), then open the msbuild.binlog with the msbuild structured log viewer. Somewhere in the execution, the assets file is parsed and turned into MSBuild items, so you should be able to search for the filename of one of your content files. You can check the item metadata to see if it contains the copy to output value that you expect.

An alternative to what you're trying is to include your own msbuild props or targets file in your package. Use PackagePath to have the files copied somewhere other than content or contentFiles (to make sure the files aren't copied twice if NuGet does correctly select the content), then your msbuild files can either use the copy task in a target, perhaps AfterTargets="Build", or create the None items with the CopyToOutput metadata in a props file.

[MattiasEppler]

ok checked:

1. My file were not under the contentFiles directory.
   <Content Include="native\*.*" Pack="true" >
   That's not enough we have to set the PackagePath manual:
   <Content Include="native\*.*" Pack="true" PackagePath="contentFiles">
   Question: Is the directory called "contentFiles" or just "content". In NugetPackage Explorer you can add a special Folder called content. conentFiles is not available its just possible to add a normal Folder and call it contentFiles.

1. there is no "copy to output metadata" in nuspec files.

2. the obj/project.assets.json looks like you described.

3. build the solution (with msbuild - its a .net Framwork Project) and take a look to msbuild.binlog
   Here I can not find any of my files. Tested with Folder "content" and "contentFiles" in nugetpackage.

[zivkan]

I should have been more clear, each point in my suggested things to try depends on the previous working correctly. So given that your package doesn't have a contentFiles directory, it's expected that the rest doesn't work when used in a project using PackageReference (all SDK style projects).

Searching for 30 seconds, I can't find an obvious place in the docs where it's documented, but basically content is used by projects using packages.config. Projects using PackageReference use the contentFiles directory. If you pack with NuGet's MSBuild pack target, we take care of it for you and duplicate the content in both places so your package is compatible with both. If you have a custom nuspec file and/or use nuget.exe pack, then you're responsible for packing in a way that meets NuGet's conventions.

NuGet Package Explorer is not a Microsoft product, so I can't provide support for it. Similarly if you don't create your package using nuget.exe pack, msbuild -t:pack or dotnet pack, then you're not packing in a supported way, and I all I can do is explain how a package should be laid out. Given the project file you put in your first post is an SDK style project, I strongly recommend using dotnet pack to create the nupkg. It should automatically copy Content items into both content and contentFiles, unless overridden by packagePath.

[MattiasEppler]

Hi.
I don't use the NuGet Package Explorer to create my package. I use the context menu in Visual Studio. This use msbuild -t:pack.

I just use the nugetpackage explorer to take a look in to the package.

In NugetPackage Explorer you can add a special Folder called content. conentFiles is not available its just possible to add a normal Folder and call it contentFiles.

This was just to take a look if it should be called content or contentFiles.

So given that your package doesn't have a contentFiles directory, it's expected that the rest doesn't work when used in a project using PackageReference (all SDK style projects).

Yes that was clear. I added the contentFiles and content directory (with setting PackagePath) to test the rest of the steps.
But the other steps also not working with added content or contentFiles manualy.

[MattiasEppler]

No I am a little bit confused.
I try to pack with dotnet pack. Then my package have content and also contentFiles.
After this I deleated the package and created it with the visual studio pack in the context menu. And now content and contentFiles folder is also created. ???
I don't understand. I do not change anything in my project.

Ok next step. How to copy my contentFiles to the output of my consuming project?

[MattiasEppler]

Found this:
https://weblog.west-wind.com/posts/2018/Jan/29/Distributing-Content-and-Showing-a-ReadMe-file-in-a-NET-Core-Nuget-Package:

He says:

.NET SDK Projects - No more Content and Tools
So in .NET Core/Standard projects which only support the new .NET SDK style project format, content or tools can no longer be distributed as part of NuGet package. Well, you can distribute it but they won't get installed.

You can create a zip with the content and post the download link in a readme.txt.

[MattiasEppler]

I'm wondering that no one else needs content to be copied to output directory.

[zivkan]

I created a little sample to validate that contentFiles and copy to output work as documented.
contentFileSample.zip

Perhaps comparing how your attempts are different to this will help understand why it wasn't working.

[nkolev92]

@MattiasEppler

Closing as per @zivkan's response. Sounds like we are not able to reproduce this issue.

Please comment here or open a new issues if you hit other problems.

[MattiasEppler]

Sorry for the late response. My Project is working now.
The example was not exactly matching my problem. In the example was one Package (MyPackage) and one consuming app.
MyProblem I have an addinional ClassLibrary consuming MyPackage and MyApp just reference to this ClassLibrary.
So the content files should be copied from MyPackage over MyClassLibrary to My App.
This is only working after i changed to the new csproj format "sdk" in the consuming classlibrary and the consuming Application.
And without define an outputpath. If it is empty the default is for example x64/debug/net45.

[MattiasEppler]

Additional question:
The files in the Package are in the sub folder native.
So i set
<ItemGroup> <Content Include="native\**" PackageCopyToOutput="true" /> </ItemGroup>

So the whole folder is copied.
But how is it possible to copy the files flat to the output without this folder?

[zivkan]

The pack target docs say this:

Other pack specific metadata that you can set on any of the above items includes <PackageCopyToOutput> and <PackageFlatten> which sets CopyToOutput and Flatten values on the contentFiles entry in the output nuspec.

The nuspec reference docs say this about flatten:

A Boolean indicating whether to copy content items to a single folder in the build output (true), or to preserve the folder structure in the package (false). This flag only works when copyToOutput flag is set to true. The default is false.

[MattiasEppler]

Hi.
It does not work. I don't know why

I try to set every property

<ItemGroup> 
    <Content Include="native\**\*.*"  PackageCopyToOutput="true" CopyToOutput="true"  Flatten="true" PackageFlatten="true"/>
</ItemGroup>

the files are always inside the native folder in my output.

[nbcakmak]

Hi,

I came accross this thread while looking for a fix for my project , following solution works for me .

As I understood from Microsoft references, nupkg copies only assembly files to output directory by default if you use
<Content Include = "*">tag , on the other hand there are other buildOptions for .nuspec file like None.

Append and modify following lines at the .csproj file according to your need and rebuild. Make sure not to create same version of nupkg if you test on local machine . (or simply clear .nuget/packages/relatedpackage directory)

Modifying following attributes would change generated .nuspec file and behaviour of package file.

<None Include="path\filename.ext">
        <Pack>true</Pack>
        <PackageCopyToOutput>true</PackageCopyToOutput>
        <PackageFlatten>true</PackageFlatten>
        <PackagePath>contentFiles\any\asset;content\any\asset</PackagePath>
</None>

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/nuget/reference/nuspec
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/aspnet/web-forms/overview/deployment/web-deployment-in-the-enterprise/understanding-the-project-file
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/nuget/reference/msbuild-targets